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Cycles of Matter

Cycles of Matter. Cycling of Matter. In terms of energy, Earth is an open system Receives constant inflow of energy from the sun In terms of matter (such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus), Earth is a closed system. Matter changes form, but does not disappear

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Cycles of Matter

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  1. Cycles of Matter

  2. Cycling of Matter • In terms of energy, Earth is an open system • Receives constant inflow of energy from the sun • In terms of matter (such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus), Earth is a closed system. • Matter changes form, but does not disappear • The total amount of matter on Earth is always the same

  3. Water Cycle • Also known as the hydrologic cycle • Circular pathway of water from the atmosphere, to the surface and below ground and back to the atmosphere • Water falls to Earth in the form of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail) • Some seeps into the ground, some into bodies of water

  4. Water Cycle • Water reenters the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration • 85% of evaporation occurs between oceans and the atmosphere • Transpiration: the evaporation between plant leaves and the atmosphere • Cycle completed as water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and forms clouds, returning water to surface as precipitation

  5. Water Cycle

  6. Elements Essential for Life • Besides hydrogen and oxygen (water), carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus also cycle through ecosystems • Biogeochemical cycle: movement of a particular chemical through the biological (living) and geological (nonliving) parts of an ecosystem

  7. Oxygen Cycle • Plants release oxygen (photosynthesis) and humans and other organisms take in oxygen (cell respiration). • Humans and other organisms release carbon dioxide (cell respiration) and plants take carbon dioxide (photosynthesis).

  8. Carbon Cycle • Carbon is the building block of life (key to the structure of all organisms on the planet) • Essential component of macromolecules that make up living organisms • Carbon can be found in solid, liquid and gaseous states: • Carbon dioxide • Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas) • Limestone (rock) • Dead organic matter in soil

  9. Carbon Cycle • Simplest transfer of carbon occurs between plants and animals. • Plants use energy from the sun to convert CO2 from the air into organic material that becomes a part of the plant’s structure. • The carbon then moves through the biotic world as one organism eats another.

  10. Carbon Cycle • Carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2 by: • Respiration • Decomposition of dead organisms. • Burning of fossil fuels • Burning of wood • Emissions from factories and automobiles • Methane (emitted from wetlands, landfills and livestock)

  11. Nitrogen Cycle • 78% of Earth’s atmosphere is made of nitrogen gas • Most organisms use nitrogen in the form of ammonium (NH4) or nitrate (NO3) • Most of nitrogen cycle takes place underground

  12. Nitrogen Cycle • Nitrogen gas is converted to ammonia by bacteria in a process called nitrogen fixation • Bacteria live freely in the soil or on roots of plants such as peas and beans (legumes) • Ammonia is converted to ammonium by the addition of hydrogen • The ammonium is used by nitrifying bacteria as energy and through the process of nitrification is converted to nitrate

  13. Nitrogen Cycle • Nitrates released by soil bacteria are taken up by plants which convert them into amino acids. • Nitrogen continues the cycle as animals eat plants. • When decomposers break down plant and animal matter, nitrogen is returned to the soil as ammonium • Denitrifying bacteria use nitrate as an oxygen source and release nitrogen gas into the air as a waste product • Lightning breaks apart nitrogen in atmosphere forming nitrogen oxide which is absorbed by the soil.

  14. Nitrogen Cycle

  15. Phosphorous Cycle • Happens primarily on and in the ground, not atmosphere • Phosphorous is released when rocks are eroded by rainfall, weathering and runoffs. • The release of phosphorous into the soil results in a constant phosphorus supply for plants. • Phosphorous is absorbed through the roots of plants and used to make organic compounds. • As animals eat these plants, phosphorous is consumed and passed up the food chain. • The decomposition of these animals or the excretion of organic phosphate returns phosphorus into the soil or water thereby completing the cycle.

  16. Phosphorous Cycle

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